5 Important Tips On How To Ensure You Are Properly Securing Your Car.
Most people these days have a car which allows them to drive to and from work as well as for leisure. Some of us drive our cars for work and store important and valuable tools/documents in the car for convenience. However there are some obvious and not so obvious ways we can ensure that we keep our cars and belongings safe from potential theft.
1. Hide your valuables. As mentioned above many people leave their belongings in their cars. Whether it's your mobile phone, cash, laptop/iPad, handbags or tools, chances are everyone has something of value in their car at some point. If there are valuables on show in a car this is incredibly enticing to a car thief. They may stop at just stealing those items on show or they might steal your whole car. Important note: if your wallet is left in your car your drivers licence is easily accessed with your home address. All of a sudden your car break in has become a car break in, car theft and house break in all in one day.
2. Hide your car keys! Don’t leave your keys hanging on a hook or in a key bowl visible from your front door. Prying eyes will sight your keys hanging there and after breaking into your home, will be easily accessed. Some thieves will break into your home with the sole purpose of stealing your car. This may be because they want your particular make and model of car or they are opportunistic and require your car to commit another crime. Do not make it easy for criminals to complete their tasks.
3. Park in a secured area. The obvious and safe place to keep your cars is secured in a parking garage. Keeping your car parked in a garage will also keep your car safe from weather damage and keep it cool in the summer months. If you cannot park your car in a locked garage then keep it close to your home in a well lit space. This will easily identify any potential thief trying to break into a car. Try and avoid leaving your windows down when you have left your car. This is very enticing to a potential car thief and makes stealing your car that much easier.
4. Lock your car. This might be a no brainer however quite often people will keep their cars unlocked as they quickly run into the shops or petrol station. This is more common with older vehicles requiring a key door lock. However newer cars which have remote central locking can also be overlooked as being locked when they are not. Pushing the unlock button rather than the lock button or forgetting to press the button altogether leaves your car unknowingly an easy target. Physically check a door handle as you go to walk away to ensure your remote locking has worked.
5. And lastly, install a car alarm if your car does not already have one. Install a high quality car alarm that is not easily set off by a passing truck. Car alarms do not physically stop a car from being stolen but they do however alert people around that something has triggered an alarm and people will more often than not look out their window or door to see where that sound is coming from and why.